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Wednesday, October 2nd, 2024
the Week of Proper 21 / Ordinary 26
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King James Version

Acts 24:27

But after two years Porcius Festus came into Felix' room: and Felix, willing to shew the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Court;   Demagogism;   Felix;   Festus;   Judge;   Opinion, Public;   Paul;   Readings, Select;   Thompson Chain Reference - Festus;   Injustice;   Justice-Injustice;   Men-Pleasers;   Pleasing Men;   Popularity Sought;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Injustice;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Caesarea;   Felix;   Festus, Portius;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Caesarea;   Felix;   Gospels;   Luke;   Luke, gospel of;   Paul;   Philippians, letter to the;   Timothy;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Luke-Acts, Theology of;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Ordination;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Caesarea;   Festus, Porcius;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Caesarea;   Moses;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Felix;   Festus;   Governor;   Grace;   Procurator;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Acts of the Apostles;   Chronology of the New Testament;   Justice;   Latin;   Luke, Gospel According to;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Dates;   Festus;   Paul;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Felix ;   First and Second Epistles to the Thessalonians Written;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Felix;   Festus;   Roman empire;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Fe'lix;   Fes'tus, Por'cius;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Festus;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Acts of the Apostles;   Chronology of the New Testament;   Drusilla;   Felix;   Festus;   Paul, the Apostle;   Philippians, the Epistle to;   Pleasure;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Cæsarea;  

Parallel Translations

Simplified Cowboy Version
Two years went by, and Felix was finally replaced with Porcius Festus. Felix hadn't wanted the Jews to say anything bad about him, so he'd left Paul locked up the whole time.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
But after two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, and wishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul imprisoned.
Legacy Standard Bible
But after two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, and wishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul imprisoned.
Bible in Basic English
But after two years Porcius Festus took the place of Felix, who, desiring to have the approval of the Jews, kept Paul in chains.
Darby Translation
But when two years were completed, Felix was relieved by Porcius Festus as his successor; and Felix, desirous to oblige the Jews, to acquire their favour, left Paul bound.
New King James Version
But after two years Porcius Festus succeeded Felix; and Felix, wanting to do the Jews a favor, left Paul bound.
Christian Standard Bible®
After two years had passed, Felix received a successor, Porcius Festus, and because he wished to do a favor for the Jews, Felix left Paul in prison.
World English Bible
But when two years were fulfilled, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, and desiring to gain favor with the Jews, Felix left Paul in bonds.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
But after two years, Felix was succeeded by Portius Festus: and Felix desiring to gratify the Jews, left Paul bound.
Weymouth's New Testament
But after the lapse of fully two years Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus; and being desirous of gratifying the Jews, Felix left Paul still in prison.
King James Version (1611)
But after two yeeres, Portius Festus came into Felix roome: and Felix willing to shew the Iewes a pleasure, left Paul bound.
Literal Translation
But two years being completed, Felix welcomed a successor, Porcius Festus. And wishing to show a favor to the Jews, Felix left Paul bound.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But after two yeares came Portius Festus in to felix rowme. Yet Felix wyllinge to shewe the Iewes a pleasure, left Paul bounde.
Mace New Testament (1729)
offer'd him mony in order to obtain his discharge. but two years after he was succeeded by Porcius Festus, who to oblige the Jews left Paul under confinement.
THE MESSAGE
After two years of this, Felix was replaced by Porcius Festus. Still playing up to the Jews and ignoring justice, Felix left Paul in prison.
Amplified Bible
But after two years had passed, Felix was succeeded [in office] by Porcius Festus; and wishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul imprisoned.
American Standard Version
But when two years were fulfilled, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus; and desiring to gain favor with the Jews, Felix left Paul in bonds.
Revised Standard Version
But when two years had elapsed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus; and desiring to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
But after two yeare Festus Porcius came into Felix roume. And Felix willinge to shewe ye Iewes a pleasure lefte Paul in preson bounde.
Update Bible Version
But when two years were fulfilled, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus; and desiring to gain favor with the Jews, Felix left Paul in bonds.
Webster's Bible Translation
But after two years Porcius Festus came as successor to Felix: and Felix willing to show the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound.
Young's Literal Translation
and two years having been fulfilled, Felix received a successor, Porcius Festus; Felix also willing to lay a favour on the Jews, left Paul bound.
New Century Version
But after two years, Felix was replaced by Porcius Festus as governor. But Felix had left Paul in prison to please the Jews.
New English Translation
After two years had passed, Porcius Festus succeeded Felix, and because he wanted to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.
Berean Standard Bible
After two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And wishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.
Contemporary English Version
Two years later Porcius Festus became governor in place of Felix. But since Felix wanted to do the Jewish leaders a favor, he kept Paul in jail.
Complete Jewish Bible
After two years, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus; but because Felix wanted to grant the Judeans a favor, he left Sha'ul still a prisoner.
English Standard Version
When two years had elapsed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And desiring to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.
Geneva Bible (1587)
When two yeeres were expired, Porcius Festus came into Felix roume: and Felix willing to get fauour of the Iewes, left Paul bound.
George Lamsa Translation
And when he had completed two years, another governor succeeded him whose name was Por''ci-us Fes''tus: and Fe''lix, to do the Jews a favor, left Paul a prisoner.
Hebrew Names Version
But when two years were fulfilled, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, and desiring to gain favor with the Yehudim, Felix left Sha'ul in bonds.
International Standard Version
After two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. Since Felix wanted to do the Jews a favor, he left Paul in prison.Exodus 23:2; Acts 12:3;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
And when two years were fulfilled to him, another governor came in his place, who was called Porcios Festos. But Felix, as to do a favour to the Jihudoyee, left Paulos bound.
Murdock Translation
And when two years were fulfilled to him, another governor, whose name was Porcius Festus, came into his place. And Felix, that he might do the Jews a favor, left Paul a prisoner.
New Living Translation
After two years went by in this way, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And because Felix wanted to gain favor with the Jewish people, he left Paul in prison.
New Life Bible
After two years Porcius Festus became leader of the people instead of Felix. Felix wanted to please the Jews so he kept Paul in prison.
English Revised Version
But when two years were fulfilled, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus; and desiring to gain favour with the Jews, Felix left Paul in bonds.
New Revised Standard
After two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus; and since he wanted to grant the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
When, however, two years, were completed, Felix, was succeeded, by Porcius Festus, and Felix, wishing to gain favour with the Jews, left Paul bound.
Douay-Rheims Bible
But when two years were ended, Felix had for successor Portius Festus. And Felix being willing to shew the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound.
Lexham English Bible
And when two years had passed, Felix received as successor Porcius Festus. And because he wanted to do a favor for the Jews, Felix left Paul behind as a prisoner.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
But after two yere, Porcius Festus came into Felix rowme: And Felix wyllyng to shewe the Iewes a pleasure, left Paul bounde.
Easy-to-Read Version
But after two years, Porcius Festus became governor. So Felix was no longer governor. But he left Paul in prison to please the Jews.
New American Standard Bible
But after two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus; and Felix, wanting to do the Jews a favor, left Paul imprisoned.
Good News Translation
After two years had passed, Porcius Festus succeeded Felix as governor. Felix wanted to gain favor with the Jews so he left Paul in prison.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And whanne twei yeeris weren fillid, Felix took a successoure, Porcius Festus; and Felix wolde yyue grace to Jewis, and lefte Poul boundun.

Contextual Overview

22 And when Felix heard these things, having more perfect knowledge of that way, he deferred them, and said, When Lysias the chief captain shall come down, I will know the uttermost of your matter. 23 And he commanded a centurion to keep Paul, and to let him have liberty, and that he should forbid none of his acquaintance to minister or come unto him. 24 And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. 25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee. 26 He hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul, that he might loose him: wherefore he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him. 27 But after two years Porcius Festus came into Felix' room: and Felix, willing to shew the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

two: Acts 28:30

Porcius Festus: Porcius Festus was put into the government of Judea in the sixth or seventh year of Nero. He died about two years afterwards, and was succeeded by Albinus. Acts 25:1, Acts 26:24, Acts 26:25, Acts 26:32

willing: Acts 12:3, Acts 25:9, Acts 25:14, Exodus 23:2, Proverbs 29:25, Mark 15:15, Luke 23:24, Luke 23:25, Galatians 1:10

Reciprocal: Jeremiah 37:21 - Thus Daniel 6:16 - the king Matthew 27:2 - bound Matthew 27:15 - General Mark 15:6 - General Luke 3:1 - Pontius Pilate Acts 12:11 - all Acts 21:11 - So shall Acts 24:2 - Seeing 2 Corinthians 6:5 - imprisonments 2 Corinthians 11:23 - in prisons Hebrews 11:36 - bonds

Cross-References

Genesis 9:26
And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
Genesis 13:8
And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.
Genesis 14:20
And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
Genesis 24:4
But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.
Genesis 24:10
And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor.
Genesis 24:11
And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water.
Genesis 24:12
And he said O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham.
Genesis 24:13
Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water:
Genesis 24:18
And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.
Genesis 24:19
And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But after two years,.... Not of Felix's government, for he had been judge many years in that nation, but of the apostle's confinement at Caesarea:

Porcius Festus came in Felix's room; was made governor of Judea by Nero in his stead; who having had many and loud complaints against him for malpractice, moved him: and so Josephus f says, that Festus succeeded Felix in the government of Judea, and calls him as here, Porcius Festus; in the Arabic version he is called Porcinius Festus, and in the Vulgate Latin version Portius Festus, but his name was not Portius, from "porta", a gate, but "Porcius", a porcis, from hogs; it was common with the Romans to take names from the brute creatures; so Suillius from swine, Caprarius and Caprilius from goats, Bubulcus from oxen, and Ovinius from sheep. The famous Cato was of the family of the Porcii; his name was M. Porcius Cato, and came from Tusculum, a place about twelve miles from Rome, where there is a mountain which still retains the name of Porcius; we read also of Porcius Licinius, a Latin poet, whose fragments are still extant; whether this man was of the same family is not certain, it is very likely he might: his surname Festus signifies joyful and cheerful, as one keeping a feast; this was a name common with the Romans, as Rufus Festus, Pompeius Festus, and others:

and Felix, willing to show the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound; he had done many injuries to their persons and properties, he had greatly abused them, and incensed them against him; and now he was sent for to Rome, to answer for his maladministration; wherefore, to gratify the Jews, and to oblige them, in hopes that they would not follow him with charges and accusations, at least would mitigate them, and not bear hard upon him, he leaves Paul bound at Caesarea, when it was in his power to have loosed him, and who he knew was an innocent person: but this piece of policy did him no service, for the persons he had wronged, the chief of the Jews at Caesarea, went to Rome, and accused him to Caesar; and he was sent by his successor thither, to appear before Nero, and answer to the charges exhibited against him; and had it not been for his brother Pallas, who was in great authority at court, he had been severely punished g.

f De Bello Jud. l. 2. c. 14. sect. 1. & Antiqu. l. 20. c. 7. sect. 9. g Joseph. Antiqu. l. 20. c. 7. sect. 9.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But after two years - Paul was unjustly detained during all this time. The hope of Felix seems to have been to weary his patience, and induce him to purchase his freedom.

Came into Felix’ room - As governor.

And Felix, willing to show the Jews a pleasure - Desirous of pleasing them, even at the expense of justice, This shows the principle on which he acted.

Left Paul bound - Left him in custody to the charge of his successor. His object in this was to conciliate the Jews; that is, to secure their favor, and to prevent them, if possible, from accusing him for the evils of his administration before the emperor. The account which Luke gives here coincides remarkably with what Josephus has given. He says that Porcius Festus was sent as successor to Felix by Nero. He does not, indeed, mention Paul, or say that Felix sought to conciliate the favor of the Jews, but he gives such an account as to make the statement by Luke perfectly consistent with his character while in office. He informs us that Felix was unpopular, and that there was reason to apprehend that the Jews would accuse him before the emperor; and, therefore, the statement in the Acts that he would be willing to show the Jews a favor, is in perfect keeping with his character and circumstances, and is one of those undesigned coincidences which show that the author of the Acts was fully acquainted with the circumstances of the time and that his history is true.

The account in Josephus is, that “when Porcius Festus was sent as successor to Felix by Nero, the principal inhabitants of Caesarea went up to Rome to accuse Felix; and he had been certainly brought to punishment unless Nero had yielded to the importunate solicitations of his brother Palias, who was at that time had in the greatest honor by him” (Antiq., book 20, chapter 8, section 9). The plan of Felix, therefore, in suppressing the enmity of the Jews, and conciliating their favor by injustice to Paul, did not succeed, and is one of those instances, so numerous in the world, where a man gains nothing by wickedness. He sought money from Paul by iniquity, and failed; he sought by injustice to obtain the favor of the Jews, and failed in that also. And the inference from the whole transaction is, that “honesty is the best policy,” and that men in any office should pursue a course of firm, constant, and undeviating integrity.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 24:27. After two years — That is, from the time that Paul came prisoner to Caesarea.

Porcius Festus — This man was put into the government of Judea about A.D. 60, the sixth or seventh year of Nero. In the succeeding chapter we shall see the part that he took in the affairs of St. Paul.

Willing to show the Jews a pleasure — As he had not got the money which he expected, he hoped to be able to prevent the complaints of the Jews against his government, by leaving Paul, in some measure, in their hands. For it was customary for governors, c., when they left, or were removed from a particular district or province, to do some public, beneficent act, in order to make themselves popular. But Felix gained nothing by this: the Jews pursued him with their complaints against his administration, even to the throne of the emperor. Josephus states the matter thus: "Now when Porcius Festus was sent as successor to Felix, by Nero, the principal of the Jewish inhabitants of Caesarea went up to Rome, to accuse Felix. And he certainly would have been brought to punishment, had not Nero yielded to the importunate solicitations of his brother Pallas, who was at that time in the highest reputation with the emperor."-Antiq. lib. xx. cap. 9. Thus, like the dog in the fable, by snatching at the shadow, he lost the substance. He hoped for money from the apostle, and got none he sought to conciliate the friendship of the Jews, and miscarried. Honesty is the best policy: he that fears God need fear nothing else. Justice and truth never deceive their possessor.

1. Envy and malice are indefatigable, and torment themselves in order to torment and ruin others. That a high priest, says pious Quesnel, should ever be induced to leave the holy city, and the functions of religion, to become the accuser of an innocent person; this could be no other than the effect of a terrible dereliction, and the punishment of the abuse of sacred things.

2. Tertullus begins his speech with flattery, against which every judge should have a shut ear; and then he proceeds to calumny and detraction. These generally succeed each other. He who flatters you, will in course calumniate you for receiving his flattery. When a man is conscious of the uprightness of his cause, he must know that to attempt to support it by any thing but truth tends directly to debase it.

3. The resurrection of the body was the grand object of the genuine Christian's hope; but the ancient Christians only hoped for a blessed resurrection on the ground of reconciliation to God through the death of his Son. In vain is our hope of glory, if we have not got a meetness for it. And who is fit for this state of blessedness, but he whose iniquity is forgiven, whose sin is covered, and whose heart is purified from deceit and guile!

4. We could applaud the lenity shown to St. Paul by Felix, did not his own conduct render his motives for this lenity very suspicious. "To think no evil, where no evil seems," is the duty of a Christian; but to refuse to see it, where it most evidently appears, is an imposition on the understanding itself.

5. Justice, temperance, and a future judgment, the subjects of St. Paul's discourse to Felix and Drusilla, do not concern an iniquitous judge alone; they are subjects which should affect and interest every Christian; subjects which the eye should carefully examine, and which the heart should ever feel. Justice respects our conduct in life, particularly in reference to others: temperance, the state and government of our souls, in reference to God. He who does not exercise himself in these has neither the form nor the power of godliness; and consequently must be overwhelmed with the shower of Divine wrath in the day of God's appearing, Many of those called Christians, have not less reason to tremble at a display of these truths than this heathen.


 
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